Prison Reform Rally 1/20/18: VAPAC (Virginia Prison Accountability Committee; Hold Prisons Accountab

Hello, My name is Denise Thorpe I am the admin of "Virginia Prisons Accountability Committee" [VAPAC] as an endorser I am sending you a letter submitted to have been recited by one of our supporters at our Virginia Prison Reform Rally by a prisoner confined in long-term solitary confinement at Virginia’s Red Onion State Prison. We at VAPAC greatly appreciate everyone's hard work putting this rally together I wish we could have attended but the distance and timing of the rally were not feasible for me at this time. Gratitude to everyone especially. Margaret B. Phil W. and The CFJ We hope to be at the next one.

Greetings Brothers and Sistahs minds and hearts in the struggle. "VAPAC" Virginia Prisons Accountability Committee stands in solidarity. We in Virginia's gulag salute you from Red Onion State Prison where we encounter the proficiency of the state at breaking its own laws and violating its own rules with how its prison officials and guards act.

We state: Vapac is working tirelessly to sharpen the focus on (1) The narrative of imprisonment in Virginia. How we as vanguards characterize its fact, paying particular attention to the words we use, to the inevitability

(2) of holding accountable Prison officials and bringing transparency to their actions.

We at Virginia’s Red Onion State Prison in Solitary Confinement and general population state (1) The conditions of our confinement are specifically based on the relative degree of compliance Red Onion State Prison officials and it's rank and file guards have for Virginia laws and to the extent, they follow procedures and standards of the Virginia Department of Corrections.

A second point we must emphasize is: Contrary to public statements by executive leadership of Virginia Department of Corrections in Virginia's mainstream media about the astounding decrease in prisoner filed complaints and grievances at Red Onion. The truth is Red Onion's grievance department systemically refuses to process and file prisoner complaints and grievances. The point is Red Onion Steals Prisoner filed complaints and grievances. This issue is one, on which we call upon all conscientious minds and hearts help resolve.

Last but not least Brothers and Sistahs we call for Red Onion State Prison to be investigated by an independent agency removed from the Virginia Department of Corrections. Let's not forget our brothers, William "Balagoon" Thorpe aka Sporty Black (photo) who has been confined since 1998 and Henry Gorham aka Bo Billy who was recently released into Red Onion general population after spending over 20 years in Solitary Confinement.

VAPAC (Virginia Prisons Accountability Committee)

P.O.Box 213 Clintwood, Virginia, 24228

vapacommittee@gmail.com

vapac.blogspot.com